


We're All A Little Mad Here

by RosieIce



Series: We’re All A Little Mad Here [1]
Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Blood, Blood drainage, Death, Emotional Manipulation, F/M, Hypnotism, Masturbation, One-Sided Attraction, Rape, Sibling Incest, Some Memory Loss, Spoilers, season 3 background
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-02
Updated: 2018-08-18
Packaged: 2019-06-20 11:07:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15532881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RosieIce/pseuds/RosieIce
Summary: Jervis successfully put those “thoughts a brother should never have” into his sister’s mind.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is a rewrite of a story I wrote a while back. I've always wondered what would happen if Alice was on the same side as her brother.
> 
> Note: I do not own any of the Gotham characters.
> 
> Readers, I love rewriting episodes of Gotham. If you wish to read a retelling story about a specific Gotham character, don’t hesitate to make a request. I welcome any character.

Jervis successfully put those “thoughts a brother should never have” into his sister’s mind.

The years went by and he convinced her to embrace her condition; to see it as the gift it is. She never saw a reason to fear her beloved brother. After all, he loved her and cherished her. He would take her to amusement parks if only to watch her smile all day long. 

Alice adored Jervis’ hypnosis trick. Those who bullied her would end up missing the next day, shop owners would let her leave with anything she desired for no charge, and throughout it all, she was never aware of being hypnotized herself. 

Jervis loved his dear, sweet Alice. He loved the way her blood brought out the true sides of people. No one would dare harm her so long as he was nearby. That is, until they took a trip to Gotham and he lost her. 

Everything changed that day.


	2. Look into My Eyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The parts written in italics indicate events that occur in the past.

_Hugo Strange manages to clear Alice’s mind of the years of manipulation and hypnosis. He succeeds to the point that Alice cannot remember most of what happened over the years. After she escapes, she cannot decide how she feels about her brother, what is right and wrong, and whether her condition is a gift or a curse. She wonders how much longer until Jervis finds her._

* * *

After yet another successful show, Jervis walked up to the house, confident in stride, and pulled out his phone. He hears a phone ring inside the mansion. The owner was too easy to hypnotize. The wife seems to have awoken.

“Honey?”

Thunder booms in the background as he waits for her to notice him. 

“Wh-Who are you,” she asks.

“Who am I? I haunt your dreams like a ghost, for I know what scares you most. So you run, run!” Like a scared little rabbit, she runs in fright. “As fast as you can! There's no escape from the magic man.”

The husband slams what looks like a shovel right on her skull and works to dispose of the body. 

Satisfied with the work and ordering the owner to kill himself, Jervis relaxes onto a surprisingly comfy chair. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out the picture of his lost sister.

“My sweet sister. Alice. I've traveled so far. So come out, come out, wherever you are.”

* * *

Meanwhile, in a dirt cheap apartment in the Narrows, Alice wraps her injured arm. The loud knocks at the door remind her that she’s late on rent. Her landlord calls out her name repeatedly. The door opens as she closes her eyes in defeat. 

“This time, no excuses. My money, where is it?”

“I'll get it for you.”

“You said that last week, the week before that. I should have known you're a liar. A cheat!”

“I lost my job.”

“Then get another! Don't cheat me!”

The landlord takes a closer look at Alice. She wonders what he is thinking about.

“But, uh, perhaps we work something out, eh? If you're a nice girl? Are you a nice girl?”

_“Alice, are you a nice girl?” Her brother’s voice is so smooth and silky._

_“Yes, I am a nice girl.” What she would do to be enveloped in his arms._

_“Alice, do you love your dear brother?” He is her world; without him she is alone._

_“Yes, I love you, Jervis.” She pulls him into a hug._

_“Oh Alice, I love you too.” Soft lips kiss her cheek._

“Stay away from me.”

“Oh, be nice to me.” The landlord grabs her arm.

“Stop, you don't understand.”

He cackles as he continues to grab her. “Be nice.”

She slaps him and that only goads him into forcing a kiss on her. She manages to push him off her, but there’s a weird look on his face. Like he doesn’t feel right. Alice touches her lips in fearful realization.

“I'm so sorry. You shouldn't have done that. You brought this on yourself.”

She pushes him into a closet as he gurgles in pain.

* * *

There is a knock at Gordon’s door. He opens it to reveal Jervis Tetch.

“Good day, Mr. Gordon…tea?”

“How'd you find me?”

“Oh, you're famous, sir. Your name's in the papers. The fearless bounty hunter,” Tetch says this they both sit down.

Now, down to business. “I want you to find my sister. We're very close. We lost our parents at an early age. I became her guardian. But her condition proved too much for me. I sought help. The worst kind. The fiend, Professor Strange.”

“Her condition?”

“Some poison in her blood. Very rare. Unique, in fact. He took her in. Said she needed constant supervision. He wouldn't let me see her.”

“You go to the police?”

“Useless. This is Gotham after all. The years passed and I lost hope. But then I heard about the breakout. I assumed she escaped with others. But now she is out there. Alone. Afraid.”

“Indian Hill escapees get five grand from the GCPD. You able to top that?”

“I'll double it.”

“I'll see what I can do.” Both men stand up as Gordon accepts the payment.

“Thank you very much.” There is a pause as Jervis hands over a picture of Alice.

“Leave your number.”

Jervis hands Jim his card then starts to head out. Before he leaves, he turns around at the door.

“You've seen so much pain and tragedy, Mr. Gordon. I hope it hasn't left you too alone.”

* * *

Jim opens to door to what is hopefully the current location of Alice Tetch. 

“Hello?”

Gordon has his gun up and hears muffled coughing. He follows the noise and the source is the locked closet. 

“Hello?,” he asks again.

The person on the other side of the door coughed then unexpectedly started to laugh. Jim cautiously unlocks the door. The man bursts from the closet and pins Gordon down.

“No one lies to me! Don't lie!”

The next thing he knew, two gunshots were heard and the man pinning him down slumped to the side, dead. He sees a familiar face at the door.

“Any of his blood get on you?”

“No,” is Gordon’s answer as he stands up. “Hello, Alice.”

“I wasn't sure how he turned.”

“Turned? What's wrong with him?”

“He's infected,” Alice says as she douses the body in gasoline while keeping her gun pointed at Gordon.

“Infected with what?”

“With me. Who are you? Why are you here?”

“Your brother's looking for you.”

At this, she looks around as if searching for someone, lights the lighter in her hand, and backs away in a hurry. She drops the lighter as she escapes. Jim grabs a nearby blanket and attempts to put out the fire instead of chasing after her.

_”Alice, when I say the words ‘I love you’, you will dismiss the idea that I would hurt you, you will only feel deep love towards me, and you will trust me with all of your heart. Do you understand?”_

_“Yes.”_

_“I will count down from three and you will awake with no memory of the past 5 minutes. Three…two…one.”_

* * *

Jervis recently hypnotized one of The Sirens club owners and found out the hard way that she doesn’t handle rejection well. Thankfully the other owner, Tabitha, handled the situation. A couple of the guests engaged him in conversation when he caught sight of Jim Gordon entering. Jervis politely excuses himself as he made his way to Jim with high hopes.

“Did you find her?”

“I found her. Lost her. She shot a man and set fire to his body.” At this, Jervis’ expression went from innocently hopeful to the realization of what probably happened. 

“Said she had an infection,” Gordon continues. “Ran away at the mention of your name. You want to tell me what the hell is going on?”

Tetch immediately hid the look of utter confusion and decided to skip the full story. 

“It's complicated.”

“My next stop will be the GCPD. You can explain it to them.”

“Please, don't do that. Let's talk somewhere private. Allow me to explain the situation.”

Jervis guides Gordon away from the party to the roof. Once through the door, he looks around to make sure they are alone. Jim is quick to return to the questions.

“So what does Alice have in her blood that makes it so infectious?” He hears a watch open and ticking. “She doesn't look sick to me.”

“She's not sick. She's powerful, sir.”

“Powerful how? I need answers, Tetch!”

“You deserve some. Do you hear my watch ticking?”

There is a pause as Gordon listens for the watch. The hypnosis has just begun.

“Yeah.”

“Listen closer… the ticking, it synchronizes with your heartbeat, yes? Look into my eyes. Not above them, or around them, into their center. Are you asleep, Jim?”

“Yes.”

“Show me. Take out your gun and put it on the ground.”

Gordon slowly takes out his gun and sets it on the ground.

“Good,” Jervis continues. “Now walk to the edge and climb onto the wall. Been such a long, hard road for you, Jim Gordon. You are so very tired of life, aren't you?”

“Yes.”

“Now you can rest, Jim.” Tetch smiles to himself as Gordon steps onto ledge. “Close your eyes. Sleep forever. Deep down, you want to die, Jim. You want to end this miserable, empty, loveless life, don't you?”

“Yes!”

“Yes. Let me help you. I'm going to count to ten. When I reach ten, you will simply step off the ledge and you will find everlasting peace…ready?”

“Yes.”

“One."

"Two."

"Three."

"Four."

"Fi-“

“Stop!” 

Jervis turns around in disbelief. There she is. Alice!

“Alice? Thank God! At last, I've found you!” 

“Tell that man to get off the ledge,” she orders him as she points her gun at her brother.

“Never mind him. Put down the gun.”

“Mister! Get down!”

Jervis is confused by her words; she should be familiar with his expertise. “He can't hear you.” He takes a step toward his sister.

“Don't come near me.” 

“Why are you here if you don't want to talk? Put the gun down, Alice.”

“You're evil. Leave me alone! Or I'll kill you!”

“But, Alice, I love you.” Jervis Tetch uses the old trigger phrase to help control the situation. 

His sister shoots and manages to injure him. Gordon sways on the ledge, presumably gaining back his self-control. Alice tries to shoot her brother again as he scurries to the exit. 

She looks back to Gordon, and hurries to help him off the ledge. After some struggle, she succeeds in pulling him back up. They both pant in exhaustion.

Jim thanks her; Alice doesn’t reply. She becomes aware of the cold metal of handcuffs attached to her wrist. She looks at Gordon in a panic.

* * *

Jervis Tetch ponders on what just happened. Why did Alice act like that? When they were children, her eyes would sparkle whenever he hypnotized someone. His hold on her seems to have vanished. Why else would she shoot a gun at him!? The trigger phase did absolutely nothing to her. He needs to rescue his sister and remind her of their love.


	3. New Day Rising

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: heavily implied rape and there's some spoilers for anyone who hasn't seen the episode 
> 
> The parts written in italics indicate events that occur in the past.

She had to get out of there. At the Gotham City police department, handcuffed in an interrogation room, she was practically live bait. 

Bullock entered the room and she wasted no time with her explanation.

“You don't understand. My brother will find out I'm here, and he'll come for me. Nothing will stop him.”

“This is the brother that took you to Strange to try and fix you?”

“What? No. Jervis kept me a prisoner most of my life, and when I finally managed to escape, I ran as far away from him as I could.”

“Mm-hmm, and landed in Gotham.”

“It seemed like a good place to hide,” she replied uncertainly. “Until Strange found me and locked me in Indian Hill.” 

“I'll admit, not the best luck for you or your future landlord.”

“That was… an accident.”

“The infecting part or the lighting him on fire part?”

“I'm not a monster!” There is a pause as Alice recollects herself. “But if you want to see one, just wait until my brother comes for me. You don't know what he's capable of. This isn't over…for either of us.”

* * *

_The guy claimed to be one of the stunt motorcyclists at the circus when he caught her staring at his bike. Alice was too trusting when the man offered to give her a ride on his motorcycle._

_She didn’t mean to infect him, but it was self-defense. He made a move on her and when she backed away, he pinned her down and ripped her panties. She clawed his face, but failed to see the open wound on her hand from when he accidently scratched her when he struggled to pin her down._

_Jervis located his sister soon after he realized she was gone, but it was too late. The guy’s ‘true self’ was a rapist and had finished the horrible deed. Alice looked pathetic lying there with her womanhood exposed._

_Jervis shed a tear as he hypnotized the motorcyclist and ordered him to find a knife and rape himself with it. If that didn’t kill him, then he would have to slit his own throat._

_The guy’s body was found and reported to the police the next day. The reported cause of death: blood loss and internal trauma._

_“I promise you, Alice. I will always find you. No matter where you go, I will follow."_

* * *

He found the perfect hideout in the form of a barely used warehouse for amusement park items and rides, playing beautiful carnival music, but the one downside is the current owner. 

Jervis told him about Alice’s fondness for amusement parks and the story behind his becoming a performer. He then asked the hypnotized owner if he was a family man. The man answered: yes, he was. That was good enough for Jervis.

The reunion between he and his sister is within his grasp. All that is left is to tie up loose ends. The owner was rather accommodating with his own disposal. Jervis would have won a stuffed bunny at the strongman game.

* * *

_Another dart was thrown and it popped the balloon._

_“We have a winner.”_

_The guy handed a young Jervis his prize: a giant stuffed white rabbit._

_Alice hugged her brother with a wide grin. She’s so proud of her big brother._

_So touched was he, Jervis handed her the prize. Alice squealed in delight and hugged the bunny which was nearly the same size as her. He couldn’t help bending down and kissing the top of her head. Oh, how he loved his dear sweet little sister._

* * *

Lee disliked the awkward silence as she drew blood from Alice. Besides, Alice looked like she’s used to having her blood drawn quite regularly.

“Have you had this condition since birth?” With only a nod for an answer, Thompkins pressed again. “Tell me about it.”

“If a person comes into contact with my blood, it changes them. It affects every person differently. My brother believes it brings out a person's true nature.” Goodness, if only Alice had a nickel for every time she described her condition. Alice thinks it would be enough to buy a soda at a vending machine.

“Is your brother infected? Is that why you're so terrified of him?” The sister Tetch shakes her head no.

“Jervis isn't infected. He believes we're connected. Two sides of the same coin. My way is the blood, and his, the mind.”

“Hypnosis.”

“It goes way beyond that. He preys on fear, anger, regret. And if he gets in your mind…you're doomed.”

* * *

The Terrible Tweeds were training when Jervis located them. The only two names known to Tetch were Deever and Dumfree. He recruited all of the brothers to help him break his sister out of GCPD. With some persuasion, they agreed to help.

* * *

Back in the interrogation room, Jim asks Alice for her help.

“I need to find your brother.”

“You turn me in, and now you want my help.”

“I was hoping we could help each other.”

Alice takes another, closer look at Jim. She seems to have an epiphany.

“He's still in your head, isn't he,” Alice asked knowingly.

After a pause, Jim replied. “How do I stop it?”

“I don't know. Most of the time, once the trance is broken, that's it. You should've been fine the moment you stepped off the ledge.” 

“Then why is it still happening?”

“Jervis has tapped into something you're struggling with. Something a part of you would do anything not to face.”

“Then give me something to fight this until I find him.”

“There's usually a trigger that brings on the hypnotic state. What's the last thing you remember?”

“He pulled out his watch. Asked if I could hear it ticking.”

“That's it, then. His watch. Anything resembling the ticking will trigger the impulse. He's made you a prisoner in your own skin.” 

By this time, Gordon makes his own epiphany. 

“He did it to you.”

“When we were kids. At first, he did it to control me. Keep me with him. But then he started putting other thoughts in my head. Thoughts a…thoughts a brother should never have.”

_Young Alice accidently walked in on her teenaged brother while he pleasured himself to a picture of her. It wasn’t too long after the incident that Jervis planted a special trigger in her mind._

_Afterwards, she would always think of him when she pleasured herself. It scarred her to the point that she can’t remember the last time she touched herself._

“I won't go back to him… Not ever.”

Suddenly, carnival music played through the speakers. Whistles blew and the sound of clown horns honking. Then Jervis’ voice was heard. 

“Ladies and gentlemen! It is with great excitement that we welcome you to our show.”

“It's him. He's come for me,” Alice says in a panic. 

Jim is quick to uncuff her. “Getting you out of here.” 

Jervis’ voice continues. “To wrestling's most notorious family, here to entertain and amaze! The Terrible Tweeds. Let the show begin!”

The cops work to bring down the wrestlers while Alice and Jim attempt to escape. Jervis surprises them by appearing from the side of the door.

“Hello, sis.”

Gordon points his gun at him. Jervis doesn’t even flinch.

“We both know you can't kill me. Not until I remove that nagging little impulse I planted.”

“Turn around, hands in the air.”

The brother Tetch holds his hands up as ordered and slowly circled around. The sound of a watch is heard. Jervis turns to reveal having opened his watch.

Jim knows he doesn’t have much time left to help. “Alice, go. Now.” She heeds his advice, but is quickly captured by two of the Terrible Tweeds. 

“Good-bye, Mr. Gordon, I doubt I'll be seeing you again.” With that, Jervis leaves without bothering to see who knocked Jim Gordon out.

* * *

Back at the carnival warehouse, the remaining Tweeds stand guard while Jervis deals with his sister.

“Well? You like it?”

Alice doesn’t answer.

In a soothing tone, he continues. “I know you were surprised to see me last night and I want you to know that I forgive you.”

Alice looks up at him in confusion.

“For everything. But… I want you to understand the consequences if you ever leave me again. I need you to understand how important you are to me.” 

He reaches over to remove a cloth to reveal needles. His sister sheds a tear as she realizes what he is about to do.

“Don't. Please,” she begs.

“Now… you might feel a little prick.” 

She screams in pain.

* * *

Jervis fills another tube of his sister’s blood. Five tubes total. His sister is curious to his intent.

“What are you going to use that for?”

“Oh, I imagine I'll… mix it into some public drinking fountain. Create a few dozen monsters.” 

“Please, Jervis. Please. I'll do whatever you want.”

“You will now.” He speaks like he found out all the years of her hypnosis is no more. “Because you know the price other people will pay if you don't.”

Jervis caresses Alice’s cheek. 

“I don't know what I would ever do if I lost you. That connection. It keeps me sane. It always has.”

At that moment, Bullock nears in and cocks his gun. Jim is close by.

“Tetch?”

Jervis chuckles as he instantly shields himself so that Alice is between him and the cops. 

Jim asks again. “Jervis?”

The Tetch brother can only grin as the Tweed twins cock their guns and point it at the cops. 

“Don't move!”

“Mr. Gordon. I can't say I'm entirely surprised. So stubborn,” Jervis says the last sentence more to himself than to Jim Gordon.

“Let her go now.”

“You know I can't do that. But if you let me leave with my dear sister,” he caresses his sister’s cheek as he speaks, “my dear Alice…,then I'll free you from that nasty little impulse.”

Bullock eyes Gordon at this. 

Jervis continues. “Maybe you can live a long, happy- well, a long life.” 

There is a pause before Jim speaks again.

“Let her go and you live. That's the deal.”

“One question…”

One of the Tweed twins starts a large metronome.

“…Do you hear that?”

Jim lowers his gun. That’s when the twins start firing at the cops and Bullock fires back. 

Jervis unties his sister and helps her up from the chair as the shooting continues, then grabs her in a hostage hold.

“We both know what you really want. I saw it in your eyes the first time we met. You want to be free. Free from the pain. And you can be. Stop fighting and let go.”

Time seems to stand still as Jim fights the trance.

Gordon breaks it with a giant “no!” With that, the shots start up again.

“Well, well, Mr. Gordon breaks my spell!” Jervis says this with a laugh. He turns to Alice. “I daresay it's time we bid this foul city our good-bye.” 

But Alice refuses. “No!” she exclaims as she breaks free of Jervis’ grip.

“Alice.”

“I'll never go with you!”

“Why do you say such things?! We belong together. You know that. I love you.”

“You're insane!” She pulls back and falls to the floor.

“No, no!” Jervis’ eyes are filled with shock.

Alice screams as she falls to her death.

**”NO!!!!”**

Jervis screams in anguish and is pulled away by the twins.

“No! You killed her!” 

Alice is suspended there, dead and impaled on a pole, with the look of one who is finally free.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) my favorite game at carnivals is the one where you throw darts at balloons, so I wanted to include it in the story  
> 2) mild spoiler alert: this is not the last time we see Alice


	4. Anything For You

_Jervis desperately tries to remember the moment he fell in love with his sister._

_He knew he loved her special blood and how it affected people differently. Her body was appealing to him once her body fully matured. And no one else understood him like she did._

_When their parents died, his sister hugged him as she cried streams of tears. He would hold her after she woke from nightmares. Jervis didn’t mind. Alice saw him as a source of comfort._

_Maybe being her source of comfort was the moment he fell for her._

_There was nothing he wouldn’t do to see Alice with a smile on her face. He wanted her to come to him for anything, whether it’s a bad day at school, asking for help with homework, a hug for no reason, her first crush, or covering for her when she infects someone by accident._

_Jervis knew brothers shouldn’t have romantic feelings for their sisters, but surely Alice would eventually feel the same. He doesn’t know anyone else who Alice will go to for comfort. Maybe his sister will develop feelings for him?_

_That last thought sent him down a twisted path._

* * *

_When his love for Alice turned into obsession, all he can think about is learning more about his sister. How soft are her lips? What does she fantasize when she touches herself? Which points on her body drive her crazy with lust? Does she make noises during sex?_

_Jervis decided to take baby steps to answer his endless questions._

_The first baby step Jervis will attempt is crawling into bed with her._

_He works her into a trance and suggests that she forget anything that happens before morning and then lulls her into a deep sleep._

_The moment her eyes close, he gets under the covers and spoons his sister._

_She is so warm, he realizes. Jervis can’t get enough. He hugs Alice like a giant teddy bear._

_Oh yes. There is no way he will tire of this. Maybe tomorrow he will try touching her intimately._

* * *

“M-M-Mister, please.”

The girl was scared. She finds herself outfitted in a blue dress (similar to the dress worn by Alice before her death.) The room she’s in reminds her of Alice in Wonderland.

“Shh. My dear, sweet sister.”

Jervis speaks in tone like he cannot believe that the cops would do such a terrible deed to his sister Alice. 

“Just look… at what he did to you. He took you from me! We belonged… together! And he killed you.”

“But, mister, I-I'm not dead.”

He strokes the girl’s cheek.

“If only that were true.” 

Jervis then slits her throat. Her head flops down dead.

He takes out his quill and dips it in the pool of blood. The blood is used as ink while Jervis writes out ‘James Gordon.’

“Those who hurt you will feel my pain… when my sweet and terrible vengeance upon them rains.” These words are spoken with anguish, revenge, and pain.

* * *

“Sir, Alice Tetch’s body was recovered.”

“Excellent. Gather the techs from Indian Hill. Have her set in one of those cryogenic chambers. Wait til things die down before we proceed.”


	5. Follow the White Rabbit

Jervis dressed as a chauffeur for the newly married couple headed for their reception. He cherishes the moment; he knows what it is like to be in love. 

“Look at that. There's no greater symbol of love than two people who've made the choice to spend the rest of their lives together.”

The newlyweds have no idea what’s about to happen. 

“You're needed elsewhere,” he tells them.

They try to escape, with no luck. 

He rolls up the window between them and the driver seat. 

“Don't forget to buckle up,” Jervis says to the boy he hypnotized earlier.

* * *

_His sister asked him to be her date to the prom. No other guy would go with her and her friends were already spoken for._

_Of course, his answer was an enthusiastic yes._

_Her dress was light blue, chiffon, with a high neckline. It went low enough that one could almost see the matching shoes she wore._

_Alice looked like an angel._

_Jervis bought a tux with a bowtie that matched her dress. The corsage he got her were white roses wrapped in a blue ribbon._

_The slow dances were his favorite parts. The intimacy, close enough to catch Alice’s natural scent behind her perfume._

_Lavender. She smelled like lavender._

_Alice only danced with her brother that night. She didn’t want to dance with anyone else._

_This pleased him to no end._

* * *

It took him a while to find someone he could use as a white rabbit. He dressed his choice up in a white suit to add to the image. Jervis sent the guy with a message for Gordon then he headed for his next destination.

Tetch parks the limo by the tracks, orders the boy to wait down below, and pulls out his phone. He dials the number to the public phone Jim was nearing. 

“This is Gordon.”

“Hello, James.”

“Jervis. Never should have left that hole you were hiding in.”

“Oh, I wasn't just hiding. I put the time to good use. Made a thorough study of you. Quite the fascinating history, yet so tragic. A father lost, career gone by the wayside, failed relationships.”

“And here I didn't think about you once.”

That made Tetch laugh.

“Oh, James. I've been inside that head of yours, James. I've seen the web of lies you tell yourself. Strung together to keep that fragile psyche of yours intact.”

Jervis opens the limo door for the recently married couple. Their trance is set in motion.

“Well, it's been nice catching up with you.”

“I'm going to force you to confront who you really are. And I'm going to drive you mad doing it. Now, please, direct your eyes to the overpass.”

The couple are now on the edge of the ledge.

“Meet Dave and Amy Walters. Married just this morning. Lovely ceremony. In 30 seconds they're going to jump to their deaths. Take the stairs and you can save them.”

“However,” Tetch continues, “down the street there's a little boy. His name is Shane, and he's going to be hit by a truck, driven by my highly esteemed associate. Choice is yours James… You can't save both. So, who's it going to be?” 

Jervis ends the call and walks away. He waits quite a while before he calls Gordon again.

“You son of a bitch.” Ooh, he’s got Jim all angry.

“Good, now I have your attention.”

“They were innocent, Jervis. You didn't have to kill them.”

“It was your choice, James. You practically pushed them off the ledge. Stay with me, James… James?” 

“What?”

“87 Fulton Street, apartment 4C. Five minutes. No police or more people die.” 

Gordon hangs up.

* * *

He gives Jim a few moments to look around. He left the bulletin board dedicated to Jim as well as a telescope in the room. He admired the telescope, mostly because of the engraving ‘through the looking glass’.

Tetch makes the call.

“Jervis?”

“Cutting it close, James.”

“Like what you've done with the place.”

“Everyone needs a hobby. Take a peek through the lens. Let's chat face-to-face.” 

Jervis waves hello at the moment he thinks Jim is looking through the telescope. 

“I wonder, what is it that you have against married couples? Bad memories, perhaps. Understandable, given the last time you saw a woman in a wedding dress, she had a shotgun pointed at you.”

“Hey, Jervis.”

“Yes, James?” 

Gordon hangs up.

Jervis redials.

“Hello?”

“Don't you ever do that again!”

“Okay.”

Now Jim is really pushing his buttons. He redials yet again.

“This is about your sister, isn't it? In your addled brain, you blame me for what happened to her.”

“Don't you talk about her!”

“I got to know her, Jervis. She was a good person. That's why she hated you. Why she died trying to get away from you. You want revenge, kill yourself.”

“Dismissive, rude. I don't like your attitude.”

“Well, tell you what. I'll come down, and we can talk about it in person.”

“Hang up again, she dies.”

“What are you talking about? Who?”

“Surprising, really, given that every relationship you've been in ended in such misery. And yet, you made the choice to date again. Poor girl. She had no idea who she was getting into bed with. She will soon. See for yourself.”

Jervis points his arm to where the twins are forcing the reporter into a van.

“Great thing about reporters. Tell them you have a story, and they'll meet you anywhere.”

Tires squeal as the car drives away.

* * *

Jim answers the phone when he thinks Lee was calling, but it is Jervis on the other end.

“I'm sorry, James. Lee can't come to the phone right now. Can I take a message? No? Good. Gotham Water and Power, ten minutes.” 

Jervis is calling from the same van he used to kidnap Vale. He had recently captured the other woman who captured Jim’s heart.

“I need to know she's okay, both Lee and Vale.”

“What you want means nothing to me! Nine minutes.”

Tetch ends the call and turns his attention to his prisoners.

“James sends his regards. Now, where were we? Oh, yes, introductions. Lee Thompkins, meet Valerie Vale. You both have one very important thing in common. You're two halves of Jim Gordon's heart.”

* * *

Steam hisses; crackling and buzzing is heard in the background.

Jim walks further into the water plant, keeping his gun raised, until he comes across a stack of televisions. A gun is set on a table nearby.

Jervis’ face appears on the TV monitors. 

“Glad you could make it, James.”

“Where's Lee and Vale?”

“Oh, you clearly have no sense for stagecraft. We must build to the climax. This is merely the second act, where we stoke the tension.”

At this, Tetch gazes upward. Jim looks up too and sees two men tied up and gagged, attached to electrodes. 

“On the right is one of Gotham's finest pediatrician. On the left, Channel Five's favorite anchor. A doctor and a journalist. You get it?”

“Yeah, I get it.”

“The choice is simple, you see. It's kill one, and the other will go free. But if your answer to me is ‘no,’ a thousand watts into them will go.”

Jim takes his time to inspect the gun without touching it.

“Sorry, Jervis. I'm not killing anyone.”

“Yes, you will! Now pick up the pistol and fire!”

“You want to show me who I really am, then show me.”

“Oh, I will.”

“I'm done playing your game.”

It is then that Bullock and a squad of police make an appearance.

“Captain Barnes,” exclaims Jervis, “you're just in time to see James kill these two innocent men.”

Gordon orders them to shut off the power. That doesn’t stop Jervis.

“Even when you don't choose, James, there are consequences.”

With that, Tetch pushes the button. 

Electricity, sizzling, and hisses are heard as the victims are electrocuted.

“No!...I'm gonna find you, Jervis.”

“Oh, I'm counting on it. Just ask an old friend how to get to the end.”

Tetch turns off the TV

* * *

Jervis wouldn’t lie if asked if he was surprised that the women managed to pick one of the shackles. He was definitely surprised, kinda impressed.

He stood there and enjoyed the show mostly out of curiosity to see what they would do next and to see how long it would take them to notice him standing there.

“Okay, so what's our plan?”

“You're gonna break free, we're gonna lure in one of these goons, hit him over the head with something.”

Lee Thompkins tries to free Valerie Vale, but the lock pick breaks.

“Not good.”

“Um, you can still get out of here.”

“I'm not leaving you here.”

“There's got to be something else we can use.”

Jervis waited long enough.

“My, my. You two have been busy. Now, if you'd kindly join me in the dining room, the guest of honor will be here shortly.”

A short amount of time passes before the brother Tetch hears Gordon arrive. 

Jim enters to see Valerie Vale and Lee Thompkins sit on opposite sides of a dining room table, the Tweed twins are standing guard with their guns aimed at the girls, with Jervis Tetch waiting for him.

“Welcome to our tea party, James. We've been expecting you. Please. Have a seat.”

Jim pauses before he replies with “I think I'll stand.”

“You'll do what I say or things will get messy. And by messy I mean my two friends will pull their triggers, and then we'll have blood and brains all over this beautiful table. So… place your gun on the platter and have a seat.” 

One of the twins holds out a platter with a card that reads ‘Gordon’s gun’.

Jim Gordon looks at the platter without lowering his gun. 

“Really? After all we've been through today, you have to think about it? Not everyone here has to die.”

Jim takes a moment to put his gun on the platter before he takes a seat. He glances at both women. 

“It's gonna be okay,” Gordon says this softly to both of them.

Jervis, hearing this, looks up from the tea he was pouring.

“Don't lie to them, James,” he says with a look of disapproval. “Lee, would you mind passing that down to James?”

Thompkins is handed a cup of tea. 

“I must apologize for the hideous china. Frankly, I expected more from Don Falcone's son. I guess I know what I'm getting you for your wedding.” 

Jervis raises his cup in a toast.

“To good health.”

The women are quick to refuse.

Jim speaks up. “You know what, I'll have some.”

Tetch looks pleased by this. 

“Bravo, James. Now, I'd like to begin by telling the story of a brother and a sister.”

The look on Gordon’s face indicates he knows where this is headed.

“Separated for years but whose love never waned. Fair warning though, it has a sad ending.”

He goes on with his story for a while.

“… But I couldn't find my sister alone, so I turned to this man, James Gordon, whom everyone said was a good man, an honorable man. And what did this good man do? Why, he found my sister,” he shares this as he pounds the table in anger, “and he turned her against me, poisoning her mind. And then he killed her!”

He continues to bang his fists on the table. 

“Does that sound about right, James,” Jervis asks. 

Gordon takes a moment to answer. 

“Sure, why not?”

“Now, James, I get the sense you're not being honest. Though that's not surprising, considering you've run from your true self every day of your life. But you can't run from this choice. The woman you love is going to die. I just need to figure out which one it is. So let's review our options, shall we?”

There is a pause before Tetch continues.

“On the one hand, we have Lee Thompkins.”

Jervis walks closer to Lee.

“Intelligent, kind. She thought she could save you from your darkness, drag you into the light. And what did she get for her efforts? Hmm? Pain and sadness.”

“Don't listen to him, Lee,” Gordon advises her.

“Look in her eyes. She still has love for you, James.”

_He saw the love in her eyes._

_Jervis told her he loved her and she fell into the trance._

_Alice didn’t hold back on her feelings. She returned his love and more. So much more._

_It was her eyes that held the truth._

_They didn’t show fear, regret, anger, sadness, or disgust. It was love, hope, loyalty, compassion, and understanding._

_No one else understood him like his sister._

_No one else loved her like he did and nobody loved him like she did._

“And then, there's Valerie Vale.”

Jervis walks over to Vale as he continues.

“The intrepid reporter from a blue-collar family. She still has hope for you. What will happen when she learns who you really are? So… those are the choices.”

Tetch picks up Jim’s gun and points it at both women, one after another.

“Now it's up to you. Which lady has your heart? Who do you love?”

“You want me to choose? Tell these idiots to lower their guns. I don't trust them not to shoot me by accident.”

“You're right. They are stupid. Down, boys.” The twins lower their guns.

“Now you drop your gun,” Jim insists.

“And why would I do that?”

Mario answers that question as he appears behind Jervis. “Because I'll shoot you.” This doesn’t seem to surprise Tetch.

“Well, well.”

Mario asks Thompson if she is okay and is content with her answer.

“This was your grand plan, James? Play along until Dr. Calvi could sneak in and shoot me dead? Well, there's only one small problem. Before you arrived, I went down to the basement, and switched the magazine in that gun with an empty one.”

He is proved right when Mario pulls the trigger and the gun clicks indicating it is empty

“My apologies, Dr. Calvi. I only set the table for four. Dumfree, will you please escort the doctor to the bathroom? I believe there's still one chain in working order.”

Jervis turns his attention back to Jim Gordon.

“Now I'm out of patience. Who do you love?”

“You want to talk about love, fine. Let's talk about who you love, -or loved.” 

“Don't.”

“Your sister knew you were crazy, Jervis.”

“Stop it.”

“She was terrified of you. She hated you.”

“Enough.” 

Jim effectively angers Jervis, which prompts him to continue taunting him.

“She told me what you did to her when you were kids. The thought of you disgusted her.”

“Lies! Deceit! The story you tell is incomplete. She loved me.”

The gun is shaking in Jervis’ hands.

“She loved you? She killed herself rather than be with you.”

“She didn't… no.” 

“She impaled herself on a spike and died in agony because even that was better than having you touch her.”

“No, no, no, no, no, no, no.” Tetch denies this as he shakes his head.

“I saw her when she was dying. Her face… when she knew she was finally safe from you, she was smiling. Because despite the pain, she was happy.”

**“Liar! She was the only thing I ever loved, and you, you sent her soul to heaven above.”**

Jervis is near tears as he points the gun to Gordon’s head.

“Yes. That's right… me. I'm the one you want. So let Lee and Vale go. Keep me but let them go.”

A pause. Tetch groans as he gathers himself. He knows what Jim was trying to get him to do.

“Oh, James. You're trying to confuse me. But I won't let you. No. I'm determined that you'll live on and suffer without your love as I have. Choose.” 

Another pause.

“No. I won't choose.”

“You will. You will. You'll certainly spill. I'll make it easy for you. On the count of three, instead of telling me who you love... tell me who to kill. Or I shoot them both of them, which would be such a thrill.”

It is clear that Jervis wants to shoot both of the women.

“One.”

Jim looks to Valerie, then to Lee.

“Two.”

Three.”

“Kill Lee,” Jim uttered. 

Thompkins gasps at this.

“Oh, finally,” says Tetch. He points the gun at Lee. 

“The truth is revealed. You chose Lee because you love Vale. Very well.”

Jervis points gun at Valerie and pulls the trigger.

“I knew you had it in you, James. All this time, you made everyone believe you were the hero, but deep down you always knew the truth. You're a villain.”

Tetch walks away. 

Gordon and Lee wait til Jervis leaves before they move to call an ambulance and care for Vale.

* * *

“I want the body of Alice Tetch…now!”

“Sir, I don’t believe Jervis is done with his sister’s blood yet.”

“I don’t see how that is my problem.”

“Trust me sir. Alice’s body is banned from being incinerated, he knows the blood properties will return once warmed, he’s not done yet. I suggest we wait til after Jervis makes his move. Then we can attempt the procedure.”

“… Fine. You better hope there’s enough blood left over to bring her back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did some research into prom dresses and corsages. Below are the links to Alice’s dress and corsage. 
> 
> https://www.promgirl.com/shop/dresses/viewitem-PD1603572  
> https://www.rosefloral.com/corsage/blue-sweetheart-rose-corsage


	6. Red Queen

It took a while to find the right herbalist who didn’t ask many questions. Jervis invited him over to take a look at his products. 

The herbalist certainly has a lot to offer. He needed Tetch to explain what he’s looking for.

“So let me get this straight. You're about to be in possession of some kind of…virus?” 

“Yes. It's blood-based and can be a little unpredictable. It can take weeks for symptoms to manifest.”

The guy whistles quietly to himself as he looked through the bottles.

“Oh! – This…,” he jingles a single bottle, “is an accelerant. Mix it with the blood…wham bam. That virus'll hit 'em like a semi going 90.” This brings him to laughter.

Jervis nodded in approval and noticed a bottle labeled ‘the Red Queen’.

The herbalist glances to the bottle Jervis is staring at.

“‘The Red Queen,’” he says.

Jervis looks to him for more detail.

“She's a blend of psychotropic plants. Ah, thought she'd be a big hit. Turns out, she's only good at putting people in the loony bin.”

“I'll take her!” Tetch is quick to say this and reaches for it.

“Ah-ah, b-b-. That stuff's…no joke. At first, it incapacitates you. Then an hour into the trip it completely fries your brain.”

“Perfect.”

Jervis uncorks bottle and dips his finger in the bottle.

“I'm looking to sideline someone before this evening's event. That'll do it.”

“Hey, uh, what exactly are you planning?”

Tetch blows the bottle’s substance onto the herbalist’s face. He watches as the guy falls backward and enter a seizure.

“This city tore my love from me, so I'm plunging it into insanity.”

* * *

They arrived at the morgue. Jervis, accompanied by the Terrible Tweeds.

An employee tries to stop them. The twins subdue him and the trio continued down to their destination.

Once they find the location of the drawers for the bodies, Tetch reads every label while the Tweeds collect materials. 

“I don't understand why we're doing all this, boss.”

Jervis looks away from the labels to look at the twin who spoke.

“Wasn't plugging Gordon's girlfriend enough?”

“Jim Gordon wasn't the only one responsible for my sister's death.”

Jervis looks back at the labels as he continues his explanation.

“Gotham ripped Alice from my loving arms and turned her against me. What better way to make this city pay than by spreading my dear, dead sister's legacy?”

He finds his sister’s drawer and motions for one of the twins to pull out her ‘tray’.

“Oh, Alice…”

Tetch bends over to kiss her frozen lips.

* * *

_He kissed Alice for the first time, on the lips, while they watched one of their favorite movies._

_Jervis didn’t even look at her as he triggered Alice’s hypnosis with an “I love you”. She snuggled closer to him._

_Here comes a rather sappy romantic part of the movie._

_He couldn’t focus on the film. Instead, Jervis watched the light from the TV screen dance in her eyes._

_He gently tilted her head away from the screen and to his eyes. She looked up at him with love in her eyes and a smile that warmed his heart._

_Not daring to lose this opportunity, Jervis leaned over and kissed his beautiful sister._

_Her lips were so soft._

_It was almost too beautiful for him._

_Jervis pulled away when he felt lightheaded and saw white spots in his peripheral vision._

_That was the best kiss he’s ever had. At one point, he swore he saw fireworks._

_Alice gave him another smile and gave him a tender peck on his cheek. They returned to watching the movie._

* * *

Alice’s body hangs upside down with a tube attached to her neck. It took time to warm her body to get the blood to flow through the tube. 

“Watch closely, Dumfree. Isn't science marvelous? Gravity, a few heaters and voila! The last drops of coagulated blood become cocktail mix.”

Jervis pauses as one of the twins removes the tubing connected to a filled container of Alice’s blood and holds it up.

“Ah! Bravo, Alice. Truly… your best work.”

Tetch adds the accelerant. The blood fizzes with it before settling.

* * *

Later that same night, at the hospital where Vale is being cared for, Jervis just finished infecting Mario with Alice’s blood and tranced away his memories. Now he waits at the end of a hall, waiting for Gordon to glance his way.

Jim seems to sense something. He looks behind him and Jervis waves his hand in hello. 

Tetch walks to the stairway. He knows Gordon will follow pursuit, so he descends to the next location.

Sure enough, Jim storms through the door.

“The tea party was part one. I want to have a lot more fun.” 

Gordon follows him into a lab, but he cannot find him. So Tetch taunts him more.

“I had my way with you. Now Gotham's up for round two.”

“The hell are you talking about?”

“Why, I'm going to dismantle your beloved city, from the top on down” he says as he closes in behind Jim.

Gordon turns just as Jervis blows some Red Queen into his face. Jim collapses.

“And you can't stop me. Enjoy the trip. It's going to be a bumpy ride.”

* * *

Jervis arrived to Oswald’s dinner a while ago and tainted the wine with drops of Alice’s blood.

He makes his move as the mayor started asking a question to someone.

The Terrible Tweeds start shooting at the ceiling to gather everyone’s attention.

“What is this? What is going on?”

“I'm afraid your evening has been hijacked, Mr. Mayor.”

Jervis holds his gun against Penguin’s chest.

“I see the champagne didn't leave a mark. I'm so glad. For those of you who don't know me, my name is Jervis Tetch. I promise not to take up too much of your time. But the fact is, you are the heads of Gotham. And tonight the heads of Gotham will roll. But first…” 

Hypnotized waiters come in with wine glasses filled with the tainted blood are set at each guest’s set seat.

“A toast. A drink to your health.” 

“And if we don't?”

“Change, my friends, is nigh. Drink the wine…” as Jervis cocks his gun, “or else you die.”

All of the guests slowly raise their glasses to their lips, not wanting to drink. Luckily, the cops arrive before anyone tastes the wine. Bullock calls the orders.

“Glasses down now! Glasses down!” 

Barnes body slams Tetch, which causes Jervis’ gun to set off harmlessly towards the ceiling. 

Barnes punches him in the face repeated; he nearly loses control of his sanity again.

Jervis looks up at him in realization.

“Oh, my… Is that my dear sister I see?” 

This causes him to grin and chuckle. The captain points his gun at him.

“Oh! She's in you, isn't she? What fun! What fun!”

“Shut up! Shut up!” He says this, trying to stop the brother Tetch from laughing manically in glee.

* * *

“Bring the body.”

“What for?”

“Fish was the first to be brought back alive with her memories intact. Alice is the subject we will use to reattempt Strange’s achievement.”

* * *

“How much longer?”

“Any moment now.”

Alice opened her eyes and gasped for air. She is awake. She is alive.


	7. Blood Rush

In an interrogation cell in Arkham, Captain Barnes is questioning Jervis Tetch, who is clad in prison attire.

“You know why I'm here.”

“Oh, yes. Yes, indeed. She's in there, isn't she? Inside of you. Hello, sister dear.” He waves his hand awkwardly due to being handcuffed.

“Just tell me. You grew up with your sister. You've seen this virus firsthand. How do I beat it?” 

“Hmm. I believe the way this works is you give me something, I give you something. Ticktock.”

“How's about I let you keep your teeth?!”

“Or… my sister's virus is a beautiful thing. It makes the darkest parts of a person sing. What darkness in you has Alice brought to life? Tell me that, and I'll tell you everything I know.”

Barnes sits down while he thinks of how to answer.

“Criminals.”

Jervis gives a subtle look of confusion.

“The guilty. My anger at them.”

“Oh, but it's not anger I see. Rage. Violent, bloody rage.”

“All right, Tetch, my turn. Is there a cure?”

Jervis sighs. He nods his head. 

“Yes. There is a cure.”

Captain Barnes leans in with attention.

“What is it?”

“…You give in, and let my dear sister win!” He says this with a chuckle.

“You think I'm playing?!” 

“Have you heard the voices?” 

“What voices?” 

“The virus, even as it grows stronger, waxes and wanes. You may have the illusion you're winning. Then you hear the voices. Those dark voices from deep within you, whispering … whispering and finally, you'll see the world as it really is. Then there will be no more Captain Barnes, only Alice.”

Tetch holds his hand against Barne’s cheek, like he did with Alice.

“My dear Alice.”

Barnes swats Jervis’ hand away and backs away.

“You don't know me!”

“You've dirtied your hands, haven't you? And now you're desperately trying to make it right.”

“I _can_ make it right.” Barnes says this and heads out of the room.

Jervis looks at him leaving, with a small grin on his face.

* * *

Long after the captain left, a guard walks up to Jervis’ cell. 

“What once was lost, now is found. For you my friend, a savior is bound.” These words did not come from Jervis Tetch.

“What once was lost, now is found. For you my friend, a savior is bound,” the guard repeated.

“I heard you the first time. Now what are you talking about?”

The guard faces Jervis and delivers the message a third time, only this time, he adds “Send your thanks to what’s left of Indian Hill.”

The guard faced away from the cell and walked away.

“Hey! HEY!” But Jervis didn’t get anything more from him.

As he left Arkham, Basil removed his guard attire and morphed his face back to its original one. The next step is now up to Jervis’ sister.

* * *

“One more time, what is the trigger phrase?”

“I don’t know what you're talking about!”

Since she awoke, back from the dead, some of her memories were fuzzy, and the people who brought her back weren’t being helpful.

“Then how about you tell us what you remember. Start from the beginning.”

“My name is Alice Tetch. I have a condition where my blood makes people insane. I have a brother, named Jervis, who can hypnotize people. When we visited Gotham, Strange kidnapped me. That’s the last thing I remember.”

“And what of your memories about your relationship with Jervis?”

“…I can’t explain it. One set of memories is a bond strengthened by love. The other is a nightmare shadowed by fear and hypnosis.” A pause. “I don’t know which memory is the true one.”

“That’s okay, Alice. We can show you the truth.”


	8. Destiny Calling/ Heavydirtysoul

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1000 hits!!! Thank you so much, readers, for enjoying my story

Tetch heard his sister’s blood was weaponized and someone discovered the formula for an antidote. He figured it was only a matter of time before he would be called upon for his blood. The police were nice enough to provide a transport van for him.

The vehicle stops. Jervis looks up to see why. He hears the horn honking.

Someone fired multiple gunshots to the driver and the rear door is opened. 

Tetch is freaked out and shies away from the door. 

It was Butch who opened the door. He grabs Jervis out of the van and walks toward the Riddler and Barbara, who wait beside a car.

“You sure about this?”

“According to my sources, Fish Mooney and the GCPD are scrambling to recover the antidote to this virus. But Fish is dead. And Hugo Strange, who designed the antidote, is setting up a lab in the GCPD, but they are missing one very, very important element.”

Butch walks Tetch up to Nygma and Barbara.

“So, yes, I am sure that this bozo is the key to controlling Gotham.”

Jervis looks hopeful and asks the two if they are his saviors. He looks to Butch, asking if they are the ones to set him free. 

“Not exactly.”

This confuses Jervis. His maybe-saviors force him into a car.

* * *

They took him to the Sirens club and tied him to a chair. Jervis passes the time by walking down memory lane.

_“Look into my eyes, sister dear. Not above them. Not around them. Now sleep. All I want is some honesty, now tell me dear, do you love me?”_

_“Yes.”_

_“Do you think you could love anyone else as much as me?”_

_“No.” However, Alice assumed he meant the love shared between family and not the romantic love._

_Hope ignites in Jervis’ heart._

_“Last question: where would you suggest I take someone I intend to pursue a romantic relationship with?”_

_“Italian followed by an event that appeals to her interests.”_

_He took her advice; he had Alice pick out a nice dress for her surprise date. They enjoyed their dinner of ravioli and gnocchi at the 5-star restaurant. Then Jervis drove them to an extravagant magic show._

_All the while, Alice wasn’t aware that she was on a date with her brother. She assumed they were enjoying a night out on the town, a rare treat for them._

_“Jervis, I had a wonderful time.”_

_“As did I, dear sister.”_

_“I wish we could do this more often.”_

_“Really?” Jervis let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “Well then, how does tomorrow night sound?”_

_“Sounds perfect.”_

_“Oh Alice, I love you.” The trigger phrase altered something in Alice’s demeanor._

_Jervis couldn’t hold back anymore. He grabbed his sister in a tight embrace, then kissed her like his life depended on it. She kissed him back in return._

_They made out passionately for what was probably a few minutes, but felt like hours to him. He didn’t care. All that matters is she kissed him back; she returned his feelings. She loves him._

The sound of the door being unlocked brought Tetch back to the present. Ed Nygma entered, untied him, then guided him out the door. 

He wasn’t told of what’s about to happen. What he knows is he’s currently standing in a warehouse and wearing a grenade as a loose necklace.

* * *

The doors to the meeting place open. Nygma holds Jervis hostage while Bullock and Gordon bring Oswald as a hostage.

Nygma speaks up. “My three favorite men. Don't feel bad, Oswald. Your death at my hands was inevitable.”

“Is that what you told yourself last time?”

“I'm assuming the grenade's not a fashion statement.” 

Tetch looks down at the grenade. He is uncharacteristically silent.

“Precaution. You three try anything, I pull the pin. Kaboom! No more Tetch. No hope for an antidote.”

Oswald scoffs at this.

“Little crude, don't you think?”

“Enough! Let's get this done.”

Tetch realized something about Jim Gordon.

“You're infected.”

Cobblepot looks to Harvey at hearing this.

Jervis just chuckles. “How wonderful.”

A door opens and in comes Barbara, Tabby, and Butch. It is Barbara who speaks.

“Nygma! Did you really think you could get away with this?”

“I knew you'd figure out that this was about Oswald, but how'd you figure out where we are?”

“Please. You know how many cops I got on the payroll? Oh, baby,” looking to Gordon, “you might want to use your inside growl whilst making secret calls inside the GCPD.”

Nymga, Jervis, and the Penguin all look at Jim with expressions that read: ‘Really? You really thought she wouldn’t notice?’

“Now hand him over.”

There is a long, pregnant pause as everyone stares at each other.

The Riddler pulls the pin out of the grenade and rolls it to Barbara.

In a blink of an eye, everyone scatters. Penguin hurries to an exit as the cops and Jervis take cover behind boxes. Nygma hides behind a column, near the cops. Barbara, Tabitha, and Butch head back to the direction where they entered. 

An explosion. Then shots are fired.

Nygma notices Oswald scurrying away. Ed chases after him while avoiding bullets.

Jervis huddles between the cops, jumping every time a bullet comes too close.

“Now!,” cries Harvey.

Gordon lifts Tetch up and the three of them run out another exit.

They head outside and manage to see Oswald escaping in a police car. There is no other option but to continue running.

Tabitha fires at them.

Jim orders Harvey to grab Tetch, then breaks off the chain to another warehouse. They hide inside.

Gordon and Tetch huddle low against the shelves in the middle of an aisle. Bullock left to search for another exit.

Tabitha, Butch, and Barbara enter the warehouse soon after and split up. 

Barbara’s voice is heard in a singsong-ish way.

“Jim… Jim... You and the ex are infected, huh? I've heard Lee wants to remove my pretty little head from my body. Is it weird that kind of makes me like her? You thinking about ripping anyone's head off, Jim? I bet you are.”

Jervis whispers: “you're so close. The next time you give in, the virus will have you.”

“Stop talking.”

Barbara calls Jim’s name again, asking him to “come out, come out, wherever you are.”

Jervis silently laughs.

Bullock returned from scoping potential exits. 

“Hey. There's no back door, no loading dock, no way this ends well.”

Jervis offers his opinion.

“The virus will give you all the strength you need. It's the only option. Give in to the darkness.”

This only gets on Gordon’s nerves. 

“I said…” he grabs Tetch’s throat, “stop talking.”

“You want to kill me, that I can see, but without my blood, no antidote will there be.”

“Fight it, Jim,” said Bullock.

“I don't know if I can.”

“Tetch is right. We need him.” With that, Jim regains control.

“Yeah, but not all of him.”

Jim covers Jervis’ mouth; muffling Tetch’s words.

The next sound to come out of Jervis’ mouth was a blood-curdling scream.

* * *

Nobody helped him. No one came to tend to his wounds. What a day.

Tetch heard a door open and footsteps approaching him.

“What once was lost, now is found. For you my friend, a savior is bound.” 

That voice. He knows that voice.

“Alice?”

“Jervis.”

“Alice?” Jervis couldn’t believe his eyes.

She walked up to him and gazed into his eyes. To his utter surprise, she leaned in and gave him a passionate kiss.

“Let’s go home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where I need my readers’ help. I am not sure how Jervis Tetch will turn out in the fifth season and he didn’t have much screen time in the fourth season. Before I attempt another chapter, I must know if this story is good enough to continue (with or without episodes to base the chapters on). Please leave your thoughts/comments and let me know.


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